Certified Ophthalmic Assistant Practice Exam

Which muscle helps to depress the eye?

1. Inferior rectus

2. Superior oblique

3. Medial rectus

4. Lateral rectus

The correct answer is: Inferior rectus

The inferior rectus muscle is primarily responsible for depressing the eye. It is one of the extraocular muscles that control eye movement and is located at the bottom of the eye socket, attaching to the inferior aspect of the globe. When the inferior rectus contracts, it pulls the eye downward, allowing for the action of depression. The other muscles listed have different primary functions. The superior oblique muscle, while also involved in eye movement, is more aligned with intorsion and depression when the eye is adducted, but it does not primarily depress the eye. The medial rectus muscle is mainly responsible for adducting the eye (moving it inward), and the lateral rectus muscle is responsible for abduction (moving the eye outward). Each muscle has a specific role, contributing to the complex movements of the eye, but the inferior rectus is the key muscle for the action of depression.